Winter Storm Pummels Tri-State, NYC Gets 8 Inches

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A winter storm pummeled the tri-state Monday with more than 8 inches of heavy, wet snow that made for messy commuting and travel as the work week began and thousands of Super Bowl fans tried to get home.

The region is also bracing for another hit late Tuesday into Wednesday, when another storm will dump more snow and ice throughout the area.

On Monday, the storm broke daily snowfall records, and contributed to at least one deadly accident. In Brooklyn, a 73-year-old man was struck and killed by a backhoe clearing snow; police say it was owned by a private company and was not a city plow.

The snow began in the morning and came down as fast as 1 to 2 inches per hour at times during the day. By the time the snow was over, 8 inches had fallen in Central Park, Queens and 10 inches fell on Staten Island. Parts of New Jersey and Long Island had 10, while Connecticut and Westchester had 9 inches.

After several city neighborhoods were left unplowed during the last snowstorm, Mayor Bill de Blasio promised Monday that his administration’s response would be better this time. Government Affairs Reporter Melissa Russo has New Yorkers' reactions.

Runoff from the snow contributed to a series of manhole explosions across New York City. Con Edison said the melting snow, mixed with salt from the plows, was running underground and shorting out electrical wires and equipment.

A manhole blast cut power to an entire building along First Avenue and 108th Street in East Harlem, and on Lenox Avenue and 116th Street, a manhole explosion damaged some cars parked on top of it. There were several more blasts reported across the city throughout the afternoon and evening.

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The streets could be treacherous well into the night, after the snow stops and temperature drops.

Power outages were also possible as wet snow weighed down power lines and tree branches. Police in Monmouth County reported downed trees, one of which struck a home in Ocean Township. It was not immediately clear if anyone was hurt.

New York City Mayor de Blasio, who got poor reviews for his administration's response to a snowstorm last month, said Monday that he had made several changes to city operations to improve the cleanup. Those included canceling some trash collections to free up Sanitation Department staff, and making NYPD cameras available to sanitation officials so they could better survey the city and make decisions about where to deploy resources.

"I think we learned quickly that there are some things that could be done better," he said.

For air travelers, nearly a fourth of the flights out of Newark Airport were canceled Monday, and LaGuardia and JFK also had cancellations. Numerous delays were also reported, and thousands of people trying to get out of town after the Super Bowl found themselves stranded -- including the Seahawks themselves.

A Delta spokesman said the flight carrying the winning players was delayed in Newark because of snow and ice. It then had to stop in Minneapolis on its way to Seattle, Delta said.

Among those stuck at the airport, Broncos fans were understandably more upset than those who rooted for the Seahawks.

"Yesterday's loss is the worst thing that could have happened, but this just really compounds it -- and I really wish I wasn't wearing a Denver Broncos coat right now," said Brenda Stokes, who was trying to get home to Iowa Monday.

New York City schools were open Monday but all field trips were canceled, according to the Department of Education. To see a full list of cancellations, click here.

Another winter storm will move into the area Tuesday night, with a snowy icy mix expected to last through the day Wednesday. Then, on Saturday, there's another chance of snow.